Steel
by Qualynore
Summary: I'm going to be working on this story for a bit. trying to get everything the exact way I want it. You can also find this fic at my LiveJournal. Same username.
1. Ruined Homecoming

_**Qua: Ok, I hate the disclaimers everyone else gives; so I'm gonna let Kain take this one over.**_

_**Kain Feury: Qua doesn't own FMA; but wishes she did. The song is by Carlos Santana, whom she also does not own. She does own Lynore, and she does own you; no matter what you may think.**_

_**Qua: Beautiful job, Kain. You deserve a cookie!**_

_**Kain: How about a hug instead? ;)**_

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Staring at the massive building before her, Lynore got the feeling that she should go back now. The long green tapestry adorned with a white chimera fluttered in the breeze as if it was urging her to turn on her heel and run. Combing her fingers through her waist length raven hair, she steeled her nerves and reluctantly trudged towards the door only to be stopped by a rather bored looking guard.

"Mind telling me where you think you're going?" He was holding his right arm out to block her entrance. Lynore simply smiled at the man and batted her long black eyelashes.

"I'm just here to visit an old friend of mine; perhaps you could direct me to his office," moving closer to the soldier, her black skirt began riding up her thighs. The slit was rising dangerously close to indecent exposure, which she figured might help her cause.

"His name is Mustang, and I just can't wait to see him. It's been years!" Following the soldier's eyes down to her cleavage, Lynore smiled sweetly. "So, any idea where his office is?" A familiar hand gripped Lynore's elbow, dragging her away from the poor stunned soldier and she almost tripped over her own boots.

"Lynore, how many times do I have to ask you not to flirt with the men? They end up incapacitated for the rest of their shift and that would make them useless as guards." The stunned girl looked up into fierce ebony eyes, only to notice them taking her in much the same way as the front guardsman. "Get in my office, park it and we'll discuss where the hell you've been." General Mustang opened the door to his new office and gestured towards the couch for her to have a seat. After he left and closed the door behind him, Lynore opted for a more comfortable perch on the end of the General's large desk. Sitting Indian style, she glanced around the room and spent a brief moment reminiscing before remembering her original reason for being there.

"Well, Roy. It looks like you've moved up in the ranks while I was on vacation. Now, where's my watch?" Leaning backwards, Lynore fiddled with the drawers on the desk only to find that they were all locked. "What's wrong, he doesn't trust me?"

"Looking for this?" Roy had appeared at the door, dangling her old State Alchemist's watch in his left hand and a gripping a glass of iced tea in the right. Moving to sit in his chair, he set down his drink and looked up at the young woman who was now leaning across his desk suggestively.

"Aw, how sweet," she purred. "The General missed me and he decided to hang on to my watch as a memento of all our times together. I'll take that back now." Reaching out to take her watch, Lynore almost fell directly into Roy's lap when he yanked it out of her reach. It was most likely a deliberate move, judging by the smug look on his face and the position of his gaze. This Casanova was not known for his subtlety.

"I'm sorry, but this watch belongs to a State Alchemist. She went by the name of Steel Angel, and she completely disappeared years ago around the time of the uprising in Lior. Pity. If I remember correctly, she was quite an attractive young lady." Swinging the watch by its chain, Mustang smiled haughtily into Lynore's violet eyes; the poor bastard thought he had won. Leaning closer to the General, Lynore gently brushed her lips across his cheek and whispered in his ear.

"I'd do just about anything to get my old job back….Roy." She was now on all fours facing him atop his desk. Her violet eyes flashed momentarily, and Mustang knew he was going to be in trouble. Watching him squirm in his seat, Lynore reached a hand up as if to stroke his face and snatched her watch just as the door opened.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?"

"No!" Lynore jumped off the General's desk and stepped back, blushing furiously.

"Yes!" The General let out an exasperated breath; that was too close!

"You know General, it would be a shame for Riza to find out that you had a girl in your office. And in such a compromising position, too. By the way, how is she doing? Has her morning sickness passed yet?" Amber eyes flickered derisively from behind their glasses as they took in the girl before them. She was wearing the standard military issued coat and boots, but that was where the uniform ended. Even the boots had been modified to have a 3-inch heel that the current wearer didn't really need. They no doubt existed solely to accentuate the long legs that disappeared under the ankle length black skirt, peeking out whenever the very high slit opened just enough. In addition, he was sure that a strapless indigo corset was not military issue.

"You evil son of a bitch! You have a pregnant wife at home? Oh my God, I didn't even notice a ring!" Lynore was dangerously close to transmuting Roy's underwear into a medieval torture device complete with unpleasant spikes. However, that meant that she'd have to touch him, which was not on her list of things to do at the moment. Turning back to the intruder, she began to walk out of the office but was interrupted again by that arrogant voice.

"Not just yet, Lynore. I want to introduce you to Edward Elric, your new partner. I have a mission that requires both of your… talents." The smug smile on The General's face told Lynore precisely which of her talents he was speaking of.

"What the hell do I need a partner for? It's not like I have much to do around here anymore!" Ed's obvious displeasure at the thought of his precious time with his books being interrupted rang through the office like a bell.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist? I thought you died in the uprising in Lior?" Lynore's eyes narrowed, and she examined Ed closely. Dressed in his usual outfit of black pants, black jacket, red overcoat and white gloves, Ed shifted uncomfortably under her nosy inspection. His blond ponytail was tied back in a black band and he was wearing reading glasses. "Well, you're taller than I expected."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN SO SH - HUH? Did you say taller?" Ed looked positively stunned. What was wrong with this girl? Was her perception a little off, or had he really grown? Well, they were almost the same height. And, she was wearing heels. Therefore, he was actually taller than her! Looking back at her, he thought he saw a flash of amusement in her violet eyes, and found himself suddenly very physically close to her.

"I must say, the stories don't do you justice, Mr. Elric. You look absolutely fantastic for someone who has been through so much at such a young age. I would love to hear everything about your fabled quest for the Philosopher's Stone." Running long fingers through his ponytail, Lynore smiled at him warmly. She was leaning on his left shoulder, and running her nails down the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Removing his glasses and tucking them into his coat pocket, she intensified what eye contact they had until Edward gulped noticeably.

"Well, um, see it's kind of a long story…" Ed spluttered, his last remaining metal faculties ordering his mouth not to move. He inched slowly away from Lynore, and Mustang began chuckling softly behind his desk.

"Calm down, Fullmetal. That's Lynore's talent. Don't even try to tell me that you resisted her completely. Steel Angel was one of our most successful interrogators. That is, before she went AWOL." Mustang's brows furrowed as he laced his fingers under his chin.

"I - I wasn't going to tell her anything! You think she can just charm me into babbling my entire life story?" Suddenly embarrassed, Edward flopped himself on the couch and sulked. Lynore rested against the edge of the General's desk, crossing her ankles and smiling down at the young man in front of her.

"I wouldn't dream of prying into that mind. Too much self-loathing, too much angst; makes a girl sick after a while." Folding her arms in front of her, she turned at the waist to face Mustang. "So, what's this mission you have for us?"

"There have been reports that a young man in Aquroya has attempted a human transmutation. I need you to find this boy and bring him to me. Don't worry, Elric I'm not going to try to make him into another 'Dog of the Military'. We learned our lesson with you." The black gaze from the couch was melting through Lynore straight to the man behind her. If there was one thing that Edward didn't want, it was to bring another person into the lifestyle that he had chosen. Growing up in the military was hard on anyone, especially if they had no family.

"So tell me why we're going after this kid in the first place. If you don't want to recruit him, then why the urgency?" Edward's arms were folded across his chest, and his gaze had dropped to the floor.

"We just have a few questions for him, that's all. Steel Angel, I need you to find out as much as you can from anyone there. Relatives, friends, the works. Fullmetal, you're going because you've had first hand experience with this kind of situation. I think you might be able to get in that boy's head better than Lynore. I mean, you weren't very interested in girls until about last month, right?" The outright mocking of Edward's love life was a favorite past time of the General's and he simply couldn't pass up a cheap shot.

"Go fuck yourself," Ed muttered and stormed out the door.

"Hmm, perhaps I touched a nerve. Lynore, I can trust you not to pry too far into Elric's head, right?" Smirking that egotistical smirk of his, the General handed her a large file folder, which she tucked neatly under her arm. Nodding she turned toward the door, but was stopped before she could get there by a billowing cloud of cigarette smoke.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes! How the hell have you been, Lynnie?" Lieutenant Havoc stood in the doorway blocking her exit. Her eyebrow was twitching when she reached out and gently played with the lieutenant's hair, creating a static charge. Humming a little tune, she ran the hand with the folder in it behind her back to touch her knuckles to the transmutation circle she had tattooed there. Almost instantly, the tips of Havoc's hair were aflame. Scrambling around the office, he finally managed to put it out with the General's glass of iced tea.

"Dear, sweet Lieutenant. I believe I have asked you repeatedly not to call me 'Lynnie'. Next time, it'll be your pants I set on fire." Spinning on her heel and causing her ebony tresses to fan out behind her, she strutted out of the office, intent on heading to her apartment.

"I'm gonna marry that girl, General. Mark my words; she will be mine one day." Using the windowpane as a mirror, Havoc tried to make the best of his new singed hairdo.

"Good God, man! She's only 23. Even I'm not that crass. Besides, I think she might have something to say about that. And, judging by the look in his eyes before she used her… talents on him, so might Fullmetal." Roy Mustang's lips curled at the edges in a conspiratorial smile.

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_First draft of re-dos. Let me know if you can figure out what I changed. I'll give you much loves and inter-cookies!_

_Qualy_


	2. My Reunion

_**For the full disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

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**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"GO THE HELL AWAY! I set my alarm, I promised I'd wake up on time, now LEAVE!" Lynore was not a morning person by any means. Having had an extremely late night last night didn't help her mood. Burying her head under a few pillows, she tried desperately to ignore the frantic pounding on her door.

"Come on, Nori; let me in!" Immediately recognizing the voice of her best friend, Lynore flung her sheets off the bed, and flew out the door into the hallway. Jumping into the arms of her visitor, she squealed with delight loud enough to wake the whole building.

"FEURY! I missed you so much, how are you?" In her opinion, Kain Feury was the only man in the whole military worth actually talking to. Wrapping herself around him and showering his cheeks with kisses, she had completely forgotten that she was only wearing an oversized t-shirt and boy cut panties. It was only when she caught his blushing face aimed down the hall that she noticed they had an audience.

"Feury? Can't you two freaks re-unite in the apartment?" A very irritated Ed stood in the hallway just two doors down from hers. His pajama bottoms hung loosely on his hipbones, and it was the first time she noticed that his trademark automail was gone. At least, the arm was. Unwinding herself from the still blushing Lieutenant, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her apartment. Winking at the angry Ed, she smiled sweetly and waved.

"See you at HQ, soldier! Not a word of this to the higher-ups, ok?" Locking the door behind her, Lynore motioned for Kain to sit and busied herself in the kitchen making coffee. Carrying two mugs to the modest living room, she placed herself on the couch beside her friend, and hugged him again.

"Okay, I get it, I missed you too!" Kain was squirmy, and it made her laugh. He was the only man in all of Central that hadn't tried to make a pass at her, and she absolutely adored him for it. They had quickly formed a bond and had stayed close until she went AWOL.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving, Nori? I was really worried that we would find you in an alley somewhere. You could have called me." Kain was always looking out for her and she almost considered him to be somewhat like a big brother. He was the only one allowed to use any sort of cutesy nickname for her because of that. She didn't genuinely like or trust many people.

"I didn't mean to worry you Candy Kain! I'm really sorry," she pouted, giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could. Lynore had given him that nickname after way too much eggnog at the last HQ Christmas party she had attended. He hated it, but smiled anyway. He was just glad to have his Little Sister back.

"You were really lucky, Nori. Scar activated the circle right after you took off. We lost a lot of men that day." Kain blew on his coffee, sipping it carefully and grimacing at the lack of sugar.

"Yeah, I read the novel of a file that Mustang gave me on the Elrics last night. That's why I wasn't particularly interested in waking up this morning. Sorry for yelling at you. I just fell asleep two hours ago." Rubbing her eyes, Lynore reached for her coffee. She looked down, noticed her choice of pajamas and squeaked.

"KAIN FEURY! You were just going to let me sit here in next to nothing all day weren't you! Typical pig! I thought you were different!" Fake pouting, she stalked off to her bedroom to change into something decent. Stomping out fully dressed in a pair of low-rise black jeans and a men's a-cut undershirt dyed dark grey, she reached over and gave Cain a playful tap on the back of the head. Pulling her hair into a high ponytail behind her, she sat on the couch and folded her legs under her.

"Sorry, I didn't notice! You know I don't think of you like that, Nori. Not after all we've been through." Kain was the only one who knew anything about Lynore's personal life since she became a State Alchemist at 17. He was the only one she trusted to tell her secrets to. After years of using her 'skills' on people to learn everything they had to hide, she realized she had a few too many secrets of her own. But, her Big Brother was always there for her, never judging her.

"It's ok, Kain. You know I trust you more than anyone else in the world." Leaning over, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug before leaning back into the corner of her couch. "So, Lior is gone, the brothers got their Stone and now they're back to normal. Where's Alphonse? I was curious what he looks like outside the tin can. The only photos in this stupid file are years old." Lynore wondered if he was near as attractive as his older brother, and then mentally thrashed herself for even thinking that about such an annoying little twerp.

"Alphonse went back home to Resembool, and lives there with his wife and daughter. He hasn't even considered coming back to Central or trying to become a State Alchemist. He's very talented, but said he couldn't do that to Winry again." Kain was good for giving up information voluntarily. Lynore hated to think of having to use her skills on him; it was almost like incest to her.

"I'm glad to hear at least one of the brothers is finally taking a well deserved vacation. Those poor boys dealt with so much, joining the military at such a young age. More than any of us could ever imagine." Lynore knew right after she opened her big mouth that Kain would see through her little fib.

"Well," he said, "Not all of us Nori. I know you still think about-"

"No I don't. I've moved on, Kain." Trying her hardest to look indifferent, Lynore crossed her arms against her chest and stared at the floor. The tears threatening to pour from her eyes were clearly visible to him as he spoke.

"Then let me see your watch." He looked at her, gentle eyes pleading with her from behind his glasses. Grudgingly, Lynore handed over her watch, her heart breaking a bit more as he flipped open the cover.

The black and white image cut carefully to fit inside the watch pulled the tears from her eyes, and for the first time in years she found herself sobbing in Feury's arms. Shoulders heaving with violent sobs, she shoved him away, snatched her watch back and let it all out.

"FINE! So I'm not over it. I don't think I'll ever be!" Lynore stood up and walked away from the couch, leaving a concerned Lieutenant to rise and follow her.

"Sorry, Nori; I didn't mean to bring it all back. Let's just go, ok? The General is waiting to give the two of you a final briefing before you leave for Aquroya." Placing gentle hands on her shoulders, he guided her out the door and down the hall to the elevator. Edward was already in it and he held the door after Kain called out to him.

"What's eatin' her?" Edward had leaned over and was whispering to the man standing by him, taking in Lynore's splotchy face and tear stained cheeks.

"Forgive my attitude sir, but that is none of your damn business." The fierce protectiveness in Feury's voice soothed Lynore but shocked Ed. Feury had never spoken to another human being like that, let alone him. Usually subdued, this sudden anger was quite out of character for the man. Putting an arm around Lynore, Kain guided her to the car that was waiting outside the lobby. Placing himself in the back seat between the two alchemists, he passed her his handkerchief.

"I'm fine Elric; I stubbed my toe really hard on the way out of the apartment. Honestly, I thought I might have broken it," Lynore laughed nervously as she dabbed the traitorous droplets from her lashes. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was when she showed any sign of weakness to someone she had just met. "I need to be more careful, I'm still getting used to the setup in my apartment. After years of tiny hotel rooms, you'd think I'd be able to better navigate a space that's nearly three times bigger." This was her subtle signal for Ed to drop it. He took it, and stared out the window to his right.

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_My Reunion... Let me show you it! HA! Probably one of my all time favorite Advent Children avatars. I know, I know; that has nothing to do with the story, save for my creative re-titling._

_Again, let me know if you can find where I changed stuffs!_

_Qua_


	3. That Ol' Number 7

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

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Arriving at Central Headquarters, the three commuters walked up the massive marble stairs and into the building. The same bored guard that was there on Lynore's first day back only gave her a passing glance. The General had advised him not to pay too much attention to her. It might cost him his job.

Walking into the General's office, they were greeted by one stone straight face and one smiling blond. Riza Hawkeye had left the military shortly after the incident that had nearly cost the General his life. Realizing she was in love with him, she couldn't continue the relationship if she was under his command. Waddling over, she hugged Lynore gently.

"It's so good to see you again! I was so relieved to hear that you were coming back. With me not here to keep an eye on this cad, at least I can trust you to make sure he behaves." Riza's eyes danced with laughter, and her large belly jiggled slightly. Lynore always felt slightly uncomfortable around pregnant women. But, she tried her best to put on a smiling face and assured Riza that her husband had eyes for no one but her. She patted Riza on the back and winked at Roy over her shoulder, knowing that if his wife were to find out the truth of her first day back he would end up with a bullet in the head. Or worse, a bullet in the pants. Edward, who had taken a seat on the couch, coughed impatiently.

"So you wanted to see us… or is this just supposed to be a little reunion?" Tapping his fingers on the arm of the couch, he received a dirty look from both the women in the room.

"You're right, Fullmetal. I need to go over the last minute details with the two of you. There's a train leaving this evening for Aquroya at 20:15. The both of you will stay at the Lion's Den Inn; I have made reservations for you. Call me as soon as you arrive, and I'll provide you with more information. I have Feury researching this boy right now and hopefully he can turn up some names for you." Waving two train tickets in his right hand, the General made eye contact with Lynore, silently thanking her for being discreet about his bad behavior the previous afternoon.

"Ok, well if that's all…" Lynore chirped. She grinned at her commanding officer as she headed for the door.

"Steel Angel, I want you to know that I expect you to drop your traditional bar run tonight. We can't afford to have you intoxicated on this train ride. It might have been amusing when you were younger, but it's time to grow up." The General had been the one to pick her up off the floor quite a few times in her younger days. Lynore had a habit of visiting the local pubs the night before a train ride. She very much did not like trains.

"Of course, General," she spat. "I have grown up a little since the last time you saw me." Winking at him, she sashayed out of the office after hugging Riza goodbye and stopped momentarily at Feury's desk, where he was intently staring at Aquroya's birth and death records. Taking a moment to memorize a few of the names, she looked out the window and stared at the pub across the street. Deciding that one drink wouldn't hurt, she waved goodbye to the Lieutenant and left the office on a new, more personal mission.

"Fullmetal," the General cleared his throat. "I want you to follow her tonight. Make sure she doesn't do anything too self destructive. She's been known to drink a bit too much. Just make sure she can walk to the train."

"What am I, her baby sitter? I didn't sign up to be an AA sponsor here!" Ed glared at the General long and hard, starting an impromptu staring contest. After a few minutes, he gave up, sighed heavily and walked out of the building. Grabbing all the information Feury had collected on the way out the door, he dragged himself to the nearest bar in search of the Alcoholic Alchemist.

Edward found Lynore just as Mustang had suggested he might, three empty shot glasses to her left and a full glass clutched in her right hand. Before she could down the caramel colored liquid, Ed reached out and took the glass from her and drank it himself in one swift movement. Giving him no more than a sidelong glance, Lynore called out to the bartender.

"I need another one; this asshole just eradicated my buzz."

"Make it two more, I need to catch up," Ed called as the tender pulled another glass from under the bar. "The General doesn't want you too drunk to make it to the train." Ed took the stool beside her, and snatched his two drinks out of her reach as the bartender set them on the counter. Swallowing them in rapid succession, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and grimaced. "What the hell was that anyway?"

"Whiskey. Straight. It's the only thing I drink." Lynore laughed at the horrified expression that greeted her, and attempted to order another shot.

"Give her water," Ed told the bartender. "You've already had enough." Ed's hand rested on Lynore's right arm, and his eyes were bright with irritation.

"What about you? How are we supposed to make it to the station if we're both drunk?" Lynore snickered at the mental image of her new partner stumbling off into one of the many alleyways en route to the station.

"Contrary to popular belief, I can hold my liquor a little better than most people in the military. A certain famous Major and I had drinking contests a few years back, and despite the massive size difference back then, I always won." Cracking that cocky grin of his, Ed passed her the water that their server had set in front of him.

"I don't want it. Let's just go catch our train. The sooner we get out of here the sooner I can stop looking at your idiotic face." She was getting annoyed, and Ed took a certain sick satisfaction in this. Hoisting herself off her barstool, Lynore made her way to the door with a rather bothersome attachment on her elbow. Her arm was burning where his fingers touched. Trying to shake him off, she lost her balance and fell face first toward the ground.

Ed reached out for her, catching her neatly at the waist. But before she could catch it, her watch hit the ground causing the cover clasp to release and the contents to be exposed. Edward helped Lynore to right herself and then bent down to pick up the watch, staring at the picture inside the cover. It was a black and white sketch of a child probably no more than 2 or 3 years of age.

"What's this? You aren't one of those weird artsy type chicks are you?" Ed's left eyebrow was raised and he was looking at her as if she carried the plague. Snatching her watch from his hand, Lynore closed it and stuffed it back in her pocket.

"It's nothing! I don't share everything with people I just met." Sneering, she took off towards the apartment complex and left him behind her so that he couldn't see the tears that were streaming down her face. She really hated letting people see her cry.

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_Still working on revisions. Thanks to my reviewers, and readers and such. Past and present, you are all greatly appreciated._

_**Joyfulmusic: **__If you hadn't asked about my little story, I might never have posted it! Thanks for allowing me to gush over yours._

_**XHer Ink StainX: **__My first reader/reviewer. There will always be a special place in my heart for you! ;)_

_Qualy_


	4. Gambling is Bad

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

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After hurriedly packing almost everything she owned, Lynore ventured out into the hallway to meet Edward. She despised trains. When she was younger, her family owned a house quite close to the train tracks, and the midnight express had a bad habit of waking the entire household. Years of sleepless nights courtesy of a barreling iron horse had the tendency to grate on one's nerves.

"Let's go, we're going to be late!" Edward had his bag slung carelessly over his shoulder and was holding the elevator doors open by leaning back on one and propping his foot on the other. Dragging her suitcase behind her and her guitar case in her right hand, Lynore reluctantly got in the elevator car.

"I fucking hate trains. They're loud and smelly and they have no respect for people who want nothing more than to sleep," Lynore grumbled. Edward looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted another head. Eyes sparkling with delight, he teased her mercilessly.

"I LOVE TRAINS! You can stretch out and sleep, or read, or watch the countryside go by, or play cards or-"

"Shut up, Elric." Narrowing her eyes, Lynore willed the elevator cable to snap and crash them into the floor at high velocity, just so she could avoid the impending travel. Much to her dismay, they landed safe and sound in the lobby. Lieutenant Feury and a car were waiting at the door to take the pair to the station.

"She took too long packing again, didn't she," the Lieutenant directed at Edward. "Phew! Why do I smell whiskey?" Kain waved his hand in front of his face as Lynore groused her way into the back seat. Edward loaded the bags into the car's trunk and climbed in beside Feury.

"I despise trains, Kain. Can't we just drive there? Please? I've been practicing and everything!" Turning her puppy dog face on the man sitting next to her, Lynore tried desperately to get out of having to ride in that horrible machine. Feury just sighed and looked her in the eye, his gaze unfaltering.

"You know that doesn't work on me. Who's been letting you drive anyway? Were they suicidal?" Lt. Feury remembered the first time he had let Lynore drive a military Jeep from the outskirts of Lior to what used to be Ishbal. He had ended up falling out and kissing the ground after she flung them around curves and over hills at speeds over 90 miles an hour.

Lynore pouted and looked out the window, aware that nothing she said was going to get her out of this. She was going to be stuck on a train, with an annoying pest that loved the fact that he was on said monstrosity. She wouldn't be able to sleep, or eat, or play her guitar because it would no doubt bother the pest. It was back to being the military's dog again. Only this time she was being put on a shorter leash because she had run away.

After they arrived at the station, the Lieutenant walked with the Alchemists to the platform. He was not allowed to leave until he promised to call Lynore if Riza went into labor, if the General died miraculously, or if Havoc got a girlfriend. She, in turn was to call once she got there and if there were any reports to be made. Edward looked away, annoyed as she hugged Kain repeatedly and dropped several kisses on his blushing cheeks.

"Get a room, will ya? Let's go, Lynore. The train is going to leave you here."

"GOOD! I hate that stupid thing anyway. Ok, bye, Kain. I'll call when we get there." Dropping one last surprise kiss on his lips just for Ed's sake, Lynore waved goodbye to her best friend and climbed aboard the train. The last time she looked back, she saw a blushing and thoroughly stunned Lieutenant waving at her.

"Sorry you had to leave your boyfriend for the mission. I'll be sure to ask the General that we don't get any more assignments that interfere with your illegal affairs. I thought it was against regulations to be involved with fellow military personnel?" Ed's eyebrows were drawn together in a frown, and he looked at her seriously. The obvious disgust he had for her "relationship" with Kain made Lynore burst out laughing.

"Oh, that's so good! My sides hurt, bitch! You're killing me! Really, Ed." Clutching her aching ribs, she hardly noticed the train lurching forward to start its journey. After righting herself, catching her breath and wiping the tears from her eyes, Lynore looked up at a very confused and angry Ed. Trying to hold back even more laughter, she cleared her throat and explained.

"Kain is more like a Big Brother to me than anything else, Ed. I just couldn't help but play it up after your reaction this morning in the hallway. We lived in dorms right next to each other when I first joined, and we stayed in contact after I was transferred to Investigations. He's my rock." Thinking back to everything Kain had helped her through, a sad smile came to Lynore's face.

"So, there's nothing going on between you two. You just randomly fling yourself at people while wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and your underwear. I'll stay alert, then." Slouching in the corner of the seat next to the window, Ed rested his head against the cool glass and wondered what the General was thinking when he gave this lunatic her job back.

"No, I don't. I don't touch just anyone and I don't like to be touched by many people. I trust the Lieutenant because he is the only one that didn't try to hit on me when I joined the military. He didn't try to look down my shirt, or find something to drop in front of me," Lynore sighed and continued, "I know how guys look at me because I use it to my advantage. After hours I wish I could just change out of it, like a uniform, you know?"

Ed looked over at Lynore, his eyes taking her in fully for the first time. Her raven hair looked almost blue when the light hit it just right and was pulled back into a high ponytail, the ends likely falling below her shoulder blades. Her eyes were the darkest violet, like the sky just before the sunrise. A men's a-cut undershirt stretched tightly over her chest, and black pants hugged her hips with her State Alchemist's watch clipped to a belt loop. He noticed that she had exchanged the heeled military boots for regulation ones, or transmuted them back. In his opinion, she looked better than she did the day they met. Smirking, he closed his eyes and slouched further in his seat to doze off.

Bored and unable to sleep, Lynore went to look out the window at the passing land and found herself instead staring at her travel companion. Ed was fast asleep with his head resting on his right arm, his right leg stretched out in front of him and his left was bent with his foot on the armrest. His shirt had crept up past his belly button, exposing a rather toned stomach that tapered into his hips very nicely. His left hand had fallen off the seat and was now dangling just above the floor, twitching now and then. Golden hair had fallen out of his braid, and a fringe of bangs cascaded over amber eyes that set in a face that, for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to look away from. His lips were parted slightly, and his deep breathing assured her that he was not going to wake anytime soon.

Disturbed by the fact that she had taken so much time staring at her nuisance of a partner, Lynore climbed on top of her seat to better access the overhead compartment. Shifting its contents slightly, she found her prized guitar and brought it down to the seat with her. Lynore took the battered instrument out of its equally battered case, checked the tuning and strummed gently. She had awoken Ed without realizing it, and he was now listening intently as she sang softly. She thought he was still asleep, so she sang the first thing that came to mind.

"_She said 'I feel stranded  
And I can't tell anymore  
If I'm coming or I'm going  
It's not how I planned it  
I've got a key to the door  
But it just won't open'_

_  
And I know, I know, I know  
Part of me says let it go  
That life happens for a reason  
I don't, I don't, I don't  
Cause it never worked before  
But this time, this time_

_I'm gonna try anything to just feel better_

_Tell me what to do_

_You know I can't see through the haze around me_

_And I'll do anything to just feel better_

_I can't find my way_

_God, I need a change_

_And I'll do anything to just feel better_

_Any little thing to just feel better"_

"That was nice." Ed's low voice startled her and she almost flung her guitar at his head. Stopping mid swing, Lynore put her instrument back in its case and hoisted it back up to the overhead compartment.

"Sorry if I woke you. I'll stop now. I just needed something to do." Avoiding his glance, she picked an interesting splotch in the carpeting to stare at. Edward sat up and straightened his shirt, reaching in his coat pocket for the deck of cards he and his brother had played with when they traveled.

"You play blackjack?" Raising his eyebrow, Ed dragged down his suitcase to use as a makeshift card table between the two of them and began shuffling. Lynore sat Indian style on her side of the table, leaned forward and winked at Ed.

"But what are we going to bet?" Not believing what she had just said, Lynore dreaded the usual response of 'how about our clothes,' but it never came. Instead, Edward looked her in the eyes intently and spoke after a pregnant silence.

"Secrets. One secret for every five hands you lose." That was worse. Ed graced her with a naughty grin and began shuffling the cards. It was a very good thing Lynore had spent some time in casinos during her extended vacation from the military. Ten hands later, she knew when he had lost his virginity and to whom. They were on the last hand before Lynore might have to reveal something, when she became a bit worried. Ed was showing an ace. All she had was a seven and a five.

"Hit me," Lynore muttered, scared to death what her next card might be. Grinning like a fool, Ed dealt her a King. Bust. When he flipped over his second card, she saw that all he really had was an ace and a two. He didn't bother to deal himself any more cards, adding insult to injury. She had lost to a 13.

"Ok, then! My turn to pry into your head. And remember, you have to answer because I won fair and square." Edward's face became more serious as he tucked the cards away in his coat pocket. Lynore became very uncomfortable, not wanting to reveal anything and anxious as to what he might possibly ask. He looked up into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

"What exactly is that picture in your watch? You have to answer; I won." Folding his arms in front of his chest, Ed stared her down. Taking a deep breath, Lynore prepared to reveal something that only she and Feury knew about. She wasn't one to break her word.

"When I first joined the military, I was with a guy named Cory. We were childhood sweethearts and lived together for a year, but hadn't gotten married yet because we really couldn't afford it. I was tired of living from paycheck to paycheck, so I took the State Alchemist's Exam. Cory couldn't handle my studying taking his place in my priorities, so he left me." Lynore took another breath and continued, "A week after I was officially accepted as a State Alchemist, I found out that I was pregnant. That picture is a sketch I drew when I found out. At least what I hoped she should have looked like." Choking up, Lynore turned to face the window and ignored Ed's stare. Before she could get up to leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to the seat behind her.

"What happened," Ed whispered. "Where is she now?"

"You got your one secret. What more do you want?" Lynore was getting irritated and didn't want to talk anymore. She had already shared more than enough. Looking away from those tricky eyes of his, she sat back down and tried to regain control of the situation. Failing miserably, she drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms protectively around her knees. Ed leaned forward, intent on hearing every word.

"I was in the middle of interrogating a murder suspect when he got severely agitated. My technique wasn't working on him. Nobody knew that he was actually more interested in men." Lynore allowed herself a sardonic grin at that memory before carrying on. "Whoever the arresting officer was, they hadn't restrained him properly. He ended up so irritated, that he shoved a table across the room and pinned me to the wall with it. I was pinned by my stomach and he just kept slamming me with the table until one of the guards outside came in and knocked him out." Tears were falling onto Lynore's arms, and she knew that if she said any more she would be sobbing for hours.

"He caused you to miscarry? That's why all you have of her is a sketch." Ed had moved from his seat to hers, resting his arm on the seat behind her. Reaching down, he squeezed Lynore's shoulder gently and she looked up at him. The mixture of eye contact and the tingling where his hand was resting caused tiny pulses of electricity to course up and down her spine and even more tears to rain down on her folded arms.

"I was going to name her Ellie. She was going to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Her eyes would have been green like her father's, but she would have my hair. Ellie was going to become the first female Fuhrer." Wiping the traitorous tears from her face and forearms, Lynore sat upright and shrugged the warm hand off her shoulder. She noticed that for the first time since meeting him, Edward wasn't wearing his gloves. The closeness had unsettled her, as it was from someone she usually found quite aggravating. Coming to grips with everything she had just told Ed, Lynore suddenly became very angry with herself.

"Everything I just said never leaves this train. We're never going to speak of it again. Do I make myself clear?" Lynore had grabbed a very stunned Ed by the front of his shirt and hauled him up to eye level. Grabbing her wrist and removing it from his shirt, Edward looked into her eyes and found more hurt than anger swirling in the amethyst. Startled, he simply nodded and they stood, staring at each other in silence.

* * *

_Fourth revisions. Gotta remember to spell-check. Let me know if you can figure out what changed!_

_Qualy_


	5. Like it Or Not

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

* * *

The train had pulled into the station at Aquroya sometime in the midst of Edward and Lynore's staring contest. Hastily grabbing the contents of the overhead compartment, the pair exited the train in silence with Lynore leading the way to the inn. There was a large map of the city posted on a brick wall just before the doors of the depot, and she had decided it might be a good idea to stop and memorize the location of every bar in town. Having never been to Aquroya, the multiple blue lines skewed haphazardly across the town confused her. Beyond the doors awaited a myriad of canals and tourists.

"Fantastic," Lynore muttered. Figuring that it might be better to get to the inn and a telephone, she hefted her cases off the ground and started walking.

"HEY! Wait for me!" Ed had stopped at a vendor's cart and was munching on a rather large pretzel he'd slathered with mustard. Stopping shortly to finish the entire thing in one bite, he eventually fell into step with her.

At the inn a large sign posted to the right of the door read plainly, 'NO VACANCY'. Smiling at each other, the two walked in the front door and stopped at the desk. The clerk was behind the desk, his fat ass teetering precariously on a stool. He was reading some type of girly magazine and completely ignored their existence. Perturbed by the rudeness, Ed proceeded to abuse the small bell on the counter. When the clerk still did not respond, Lynore rested her arms on the counter and leaned forward, whistling slightly.

"Hold your horses I'll be right there," the clerk snapped, still not looking up from his magazine. "Can't you read? Sign outside says 'no vacancy'. That means we ain't got…" The sentence was lost after his gaze fell on Lynore, who was now leaning even further over the counter, much to Ed's chagrin. Putting on her sweetest face, Lynore prepared to get them the full service with a smile!

"Hello there," she paused to read his nametag. "Mark. We're here for our rooms. We should have reservations, possibly made by a General Mustang. We're really tired, so if we could just have the keys and we'll be on our way." Speaking in her most sultry voice, Lynore leaned over the counter as far as possible to better display her assets. The clerk reached for a log book without taking his eyes off her and grabbed the lone key off the wall behind him.

"Ok, where's the other key?" Ed was now standing right next to Lynore at the desk, and the clerk was shooting daggers at him with his eyes.

"Only room left, sorry. The man on the phone said it'd work fine. Made a fuss about gettin' you all the biggest bed we had, though." Confused as to why they would possibly want another room, the clerk turned back to his magazine and lamented that the most attractive customers were never alone.

"That son of a bitch," Edward swore. He had dragged his suitcase down the hall toward the only room that the inn apparently had left, Lynore close on his heels. Turning the key in the doorknob, they both stumbled into a jumble of candles, rose petals and soft music. Lynore stormed back to the front desk and asked if she might use the telephone, fully intent on chewing the General out. Positively irate, she wrapped the phone's cord tightly around her finger and watched the tip turn purple, wishing it was the General's neck.

"Mustang speaking," his voice finally came over the line.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE?" Completely forgetting that she was speaking to a superior, Lynore let out a loud string of oaths that made the desk clerk hustle quickly into the office, in fear for his life.

"I take it you've arrived at the inn. Good; don't waste any time, and try not to get too distracted," Roy said smugly. With that, he hung up. Taken aback, Lynore slammed down the receiver, picking it back up again after she remembered that she needed to call Kain.

After almost an hour-long rant and rave session with Feury, Lynore hung up feeling much relieved. She told the Lieutenant about the incident on the train, and he assured her that her secret was safer with Elric than anyone else he knew. Nevertheless, for some reason she still felt uncomfortable heading back to the room. There was something between her and Edward that just nagged at her. It was not that she totally hated him; he was just annoying sometimes. Ok, a lot of the time. Almost ninety percent of the time. But, there was something else. It wasn't anything that he had done, but the things he didn't do.

Making it back to the room, she found that Ed had transmuted the single king sized bed into two smaller ones and disposed of all the 'romantic shit' by turning the rose petals into a makeshift curtain wall between them. Choosing the bed closest to the bathroom, she flopped on it and closed her eyes. She was deep in thoughts of what to do about the General and her perplexing partner, when her eyes snapped open at the same time as the bathroom door.

Ed, not expecting her to return so soon, had been in the shower and re-entered the bedroom in nothing but a towel. He was dripping water all over the carpet as he stood and simply stared at her. Lynore could not keep herself from looking over every inch that was not covered.

Sopping wet hair fell onto broad muscular shoulders, partially covering the large scar on the right one that had come from a fox bite during Edward's alchemy training. His lightly tanned skin emphasized the toned muscles that ran across his chest and stomach, tapering down to the towel that he was now clutching tightly in his left hand. Equally toned legs dripped a puddle on the floor and it finally dawned on her that they were both flesh and bone, no automail at all. She continued staring until a very angry voice woke her from her stupor.

"EXCUSE ME! Would you mind leaving for a minute so I can get dressed?" Ed was practically shoving her out the door, embarrassed at being ogled so mercilessly. Covering her eyes, Lynore backed out the door and slumped against it after he slammed it shut behind her. Her cheeks were burning as she berated herself for searing that image into her memory. Her backrest was yanked out from under her and she fell backwards landing on her elbows when he opened the door, dressed now in a pair of battered old pajama pants and a scowl.

"Next time take your clothes in there with you," she mocked, laughing out loud at the fuming alchemist. Digging in her case for a set of pajamas that would cover more than just her usual t-shirt and undies, she came across an old pair of Cory's boxers she had stolen. She would have to roll the waistband down quite a few times to keep them from falling down all together, but they would have to do. She went into the bathroom to change and her thoughts were interrupted halfway through by a soft knock.

"I didn't mean to yell like that. I'm used to traveling by myself. When I did share a room with someone, it was always Al." Ed's voice was muffled through the door, but she did detect a genuine apology in it. Opening the door after putting on her shirt, she stepped out and sat on her bed to look up at Ed. This poor guy only had marginal experience with females; no wonder he was so twitchy sometimes.

"Hey, no big. I was just sitting there like a dolt, and you were almost naked. I'd pitch a hissy too. I'm glad you at least had the towel. Let's just forget it happened and go to sleep, ok?" Clicking off the light, she crawled under her covers and listened for the sound of the bed creaking when Ed lay down on it. Yawning, she bade him goodnight and rolled over to stare at the wall.

"Lynore," Edward mumbled, "Did you ever consider trying to bring your daughter back?" He sounded odd, almost as if he was hoping she would not answer. Turning to look at the makeshift curtain, Lynore saw him pull it back to see her face when she answered. Squinting in the glare of the streetlight, she tried to focus on his face to get some kind of clue as to his response.

"I thought about it for about ten seconds, but I knew there was no way that I could possibly attempt it. I wouldn't be bringing my baby back, I'd just create something that looked like Ellie; something inhuman. I want to remember her the way she should have been. Besides, I was only about 3 months along, so there would have been no chance of her surviving a transmutation. She wasn't anywhere near fully developed." Her voice was low, and Edward took the hint that she didn't particularly wish to discuss this any further. Replacing the curtain, he whispered his goodnight and lay down on his bed. Lynore wrapped herself in the blankets and silently cried for a few minutes before emotional exhaustion took its toll and she passed out cold.

* * *

_Not too many revisions on this chapter. I liked the way it originally turned out._

_Qualy_


	6. Day One: Not a Damn Thing

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One **_

* * *

"Lynore, it's time for breakfast," Ed whispered. "Wake up, or I'm eating half of yours." He got no response from the bundle of sheets.

"I'm going to eat all your breakfast," Ed teased. That earned him a pillow to the head and an incomprehensible grunt. Not amused, he clapped his hands together and placed them on the wall that divided the bedroom and bathroom. Pulling his hands outward, he pulled the water pipes out of the wall and transmuted a metal hose with a spray nozzle at the end and aimed it at the lump on the bed.

"Last chance, wake up now or feel my wrath!" Ed was choking back laughter, and had his hand poised on the lever. "One… Two… Three!"

As he shouted the last word and went to pull the lever, Lynore shot out of bed with one hand on her back touching her tattoo and the other aiming for the pipe. Successfully bending the pipe back at Ed, she sat back down on the bed and watched with glee as he doused himself. He looked like a drowned rat, angry and sopping. Lynore rolled on the bed laughing. Ed looked down and noticed that she was already fully dressed.

"You've been playing possum this whole time, haven't you? I'm going to get you for this!" Clapping his hands together, he put the pipe back in the wall where it belonged and gave Lynore a malicious grin. She let out a playful shriek, and took a jumped backwards. Hands together once more, he ran them over his clothes to dry and then chased her out of the room, her hair flipping in his face the whole way to the inn's modest restaurant. Lynore looked over her shoulder, teasing her partner.

"I CAN wake up early, I just usually choose not to. Don't make me run, these shoes are impossible," she yelled. Ed looked down and noticed that she had changed her boots back to the heels, but this time they were a full inch higher. Looking up he followed her lightly tanned legs to a short black skirt, followed by a blood red tank top. Her hair fell down her back in a braid that mimicked his, but was clipped at the end with a silver barrette. Thinking how nice she looked and then immediately wondering where that notion had come from in the first place, he didn't notice when she stopped running, and nearly knocked her over.

"FOOD!" A very excited Ed ran to the buffet and loaded his plate with mountains of sausage, eggs and pancakes. Lynore took her time, looking over what the modest restaurant had to offer. Selecting waffles and some fruit, she took a seat across from Ed. Before she could even cut into her waffles and take her first bite, he was back at the buffet choosing his second plate. Finally sitting at the table, he packed his mouth full of ham and stared at the girl across from him.

"So, I was thinking of scouting the town today and finding some of those people on the list that Feury gave me. What are your plans?" Looking up from her plate, Lynore saw Ed chewing thoughtfully, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk before winter. Trying not to laugh and failing miserably, she passed him a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"I don't really know what I'm gonna do. I guess I'll just wander around and see if I can find anything weird. Maybe if I go to the library I can ask if anybody has checked out any books on alchemy recently," he mumbled. Loading his fork again, Ed's brows furrowed and he remembered his last experience with Aquroyan food. Pushing his plate aside, he reached for the glass of orange juice in front of Lynore.

"HEY! Get your own!" Lynore playfully swatted away the hand that was after her juice and grabbed her fork like a hunting spear. The next time he tried, she was going to poke him.

"Are there any women on that list that Feury gave you? If we split the list, we can cover ground a lot quicker. Let me take the ladies, and you can handle the pervs - I mean men." Smiling cynically, he leaned forward and snatched the glass before she could stab at him with her fork. "HA! Go get your own," Ed mocked.

After a brief battle over the orange juice and a quick review of the names Feury had provided, the pair split up. Edward had taken all of the women's names, Lynore all the men's. Hours dragged by as the two searched frantically for any kind of clue as to who this boy was, or whether or not he had even succeeded in this transmutation. Most of the men Lynore spoke to had asked her to dinner, or a movie but she politely declined explaining that her 'boyfriend' might not be to happy about it. The sun was setting when she finally decided to call it quits for the day. Heading back to the inn dejected and famished, Lynore bumped the only familiar face for miles.

"Anything?" Ed asked. His hands were stuffed inside his pockets and his face was tired. Walking alongside him, Lynore shook her head. She was anxious about the call to HQ; not particularly wanting to tell the General of today's results. Sighing, Ed looked at the ground.

"There has to be someone here who knows this kid. A teacher or a friend, or something! He can't be a total recluse," he groused. Lynore was far too tired to think of anything that might help their pursuit, and simply wanted food and a warm bed. The prospect of both was looking better as they approached the doors of the inn. Opening the door, Ed stood aside to let her walk in first.

"See? Chivalry isn't completely dead; it's just in a coma." He smiled at her slightly as he motioned for her to go ahead. Returning the smile, Lynore walked in and headed straight for the room. Determined not to call Mustang, she dove under the covers. Ed walked in and just shook his head at the exhausted girl. He walked over to the foot of the bed and kicked her exposed feet gently. She was so tired, that she hadn't even bothered with kicking off her shoes.

"What about dinner?" he whined. "I'm starving!"

"You're always starving," was the muffled reply from under a layer of blankets. Sitting up, Lynore reached for the phone to order room service from the front desk. After hanging up, she burrowed back under the covers and fought off sleep long enough for dinner to arrive. Deciding not to leave her warm little cocoon of blankets, she ate right there in her bed amidst Ed's teasing about getting crumbs all over her sheets. He had already taken his dinner to the small table in the corner and wolfed it down in under a minute.

After dinner, Ed left the room to make the phone call back to HQ and Lynore began falling asleep. Ending the maddening conversation with Mustang, Ed hung up and stalked off to bed. When he opened the door, he noticed that Lynore was completely knocked out, with her boots still on. Sitting at the end of her bed, he gently lifted her left foot and removed her boot. He repeated the process with the right and quietly placed them at the foot of her bed before standing. Walking to the head of her bed, he stopped for a minute and looked down at her. Her head was covered with blankets and he reached out to gently pull them back so she wouldn't suffocate.

Looking down on her, Ed could almost see why her codename was Steel Angel. Her face was serene, and the moonlight from the window cast an almost unearthly glow on her. He found himself staring at her for what seemed like forever. He took the time to really look at her. With a yawn, he finally turned to his bed and sat down to remove his boots. Shrugging out of his shirt, he looked back to Lynore but saw nothing but rose petals. He clapped his hands together quietly and he removed the curtain that separated their halves of the room. His head hit the pillow and he continued staring at her, falling asleep shortly after.

* * *

_It seems crazy, but I have a lot of time on my hands, so I'm going to try to crank out as many chapters as I can daily. Hit me up!_

_Qualy_


	7. Day Two: Getting Warmer

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

* * *

When Lynore awoke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky and there was no sign of Ed. His empty bed had already been made, his boots were gone and there was a note on the small table. She also noticed that she could see his bed. The curtain of rose petals was gone. Stretching like a giant cat, she scratched her head and swung her legs to the side of the bed. She was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. Walking over to the table, she picked up the note and read.

_Lynore,_

_I've already gone out on a lead from yesterday. You looked exhausted last night, so I didn't wake you. After yesterday morning, who would? I should be back around lunch. If you're still here, maybe we could try the deli down the street. _

_Ed_

_PS: I hope you don't mind that I took down the curtain. I don't think it's really necessary anymore._

Peeking in the garbage before tossing the memo, Lynore saw the petals that made up the curtain resting on the bottom. She gathered her clothes for the day ahead and walked into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. Smiling to herself, she let the hot water cascade down her muscles. The lavender scented soap she had, which was intended for relaxing, instead helped to wake her mind and body. Turning off the faucets, she stepped out onto the bath rug and began toweling off before she heard the room door open.

"Lynore, I found him!" Ed saw no sign of the sleepyhead in the room, and then noticed the steam escaping from under the bathroom door.

"I'll be out in a minute. Just brushing my hair." Lynore had pulled on a black midriff mock turtleneck, and was working her hair out of the back of it to twist it to the back of her head. Pulling on her pants and socks, she opened the bathroom door to allow the steam to escape. Ed was standing right next to the door and got a face full of clouds. When she came out, she walked past him smelling of flowers. She sat down on the bed to pull her boots on, using the tattoo on her back to transmute them to their original form.

"I found out from the librarian that a kid checked out every last book on alchemy they had just a month ago," Edward explained. "She said they're beyond over due and they haven't seen him since. This is probably the kid we're looking for." He handed Lynore a piece of paper with an address jotted hastily on it. Folding his legs Indian style, he sat on his bed. Lynore looked at the address and grinned.

"This is right across the street from that deli you wanted to try. Are you sure that has nothing to do with your excitement," she teased. Ed snatched the address out of her hand, looking insulted.

"Are you implying that all I think about is food? I'll have you know I think about a multitude of other things" Edward articulated. "Alchemy, family, snacks…" Lynore was rolling her eyes and stood to head out the door. Ed followed her like a little puppy dog, listing off all the other things he thought about in his spare time. They walked to the deli and got there just before the noon rush.

"…the shitty restrictions of military life and… FOOD!" Grinning like a madman, Ed ran to the counter and practically drooled on the display. Hauling him back by his braid, Lynore shoved him into a chair and tried to avoid the stares the other customers were giving them. He pouted but then disobeyed her silent order and stood next to her, both of them staring at the giant menu board. There were so many different sandwiches and wraps to choose from, there was no way possible to decide. Ed declared that he wanted one of everything, making the girl behind the counter giggle. He looked confused and Lynore shot her a very serious look.

"He's not kidding," Lynore said. The girl gulped and hurriedly began preparing the meats and cheeses she would need for such a large order.

"What about you?" Ed was looking back at Lynore; she was staring intently at the menu. Finally deciding to be the easy customer, she chose a salad topped with marinated chicken. The two sat at a table next to the window and waited for Ed's feast and her salad to be served. Her salad came first and she tucked in, starving after sleeping through breakfast. Ed stared at her with puppy dog 'feed me' eyes, and she offered him a bite of her chicken. Taking the fork, he inhaled the strip of meat and grinned wickedly.

"I changed my mind," he announced. "I'll have your salad, you can have my order." Lynore's mouth gaped open and just as she was about to let loose with a string of foul words aimed at her gluttonous partner, the first half of his order arrived. Immediately forgetting the girl sitting across from him, Ed began attacking the sandwiches.

"There, you happy? I hope you choke." Lynore's voice was serious, but her eyes were laughing. Ed looked back at her innocently and then opened his mouth wide enough to show her the contents. A half eaten turkey sandwich stared back at her, and she nearly gagged. Reaching for her napkin, Lynore covered her eyes with it and faked a retch. When Ed finally swallowed, she dropped her napkin to see him smiling at her.

"So, we eat and then we go find this kid. I think maybe if we both went in there at once we could handle him. He'd have to be a pretty accomplished alchemist to try a human transmutation and survive," Ed explained. His second course had arrived, and he was already polishing off the fifth wrap. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he looked out the window at the house where the librarian had said the boy lived. It wasn't very large, and it looked like it had seen better days.

"What I don't understand is why Mustang is so interested in this kid. Are they planning on throwing him in jail as soon as we find him?" Ed looked over at her and sipped on his water. Her hair was twisted to the back of her head and clipped with something that looked more like the jaws of an alligator than a hair accessory. Shorter tendrils had fallen loose and were framing her face, accentuating her eyes. Looking up at him, she blushed.

"What?" Lynore asked. She sipped at her drink, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his gaze. Ed looked away, cleared his throat and busied himself with stacking the multiple plates in front of him. Smiling to herself, Lynore stood to leave the deli.

The duo crossed the street with Lynore leading the way. Ed was staring intently at the transmutation circle tattooed on her back. It was quite basic, just a circle with a few triangles in and surrounding it; but it looked like there were wisps of red smoke drawn all around it. Studying it closely, he didn't notice when she had stopped and almost mowed her down for the second time.

"Did it hurt?" He asked, not able to stop the words before they came out of his mouth. Mentally slapping himself, he waited for Lynore to turn around to answer him and hoped she'd be smiling. To his great relief, she gave him sort of a half smile and snickered. Turning back toward the house, she replied.

"More than a tickle, but less than drinking a glass of milk," she quipped.

Grimacing at the thought of consuming dairy products, Ed stepped up to the faded red door and knocked loudly. When no one answered, he knocked again. Still there was no answer, so he tried the knob. The door creaked open and he poked his head inside. The house was dark, and smelled horribly.

* * *

_I refuse to change my cliffhangers! HA! Comments? Questions? You know where to find me._

_Qualy_


	8. Day Three: Jackpot

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One **_

* * *

As they made their way through the house, Lynore noticed that the atrocious smell was getting stronger and stronger. Pulling her shirt up to cover her nose, she pushed a door open revealing a bathroom. Once she saw that it was empty save for a thick layer of dust and a dead rat, she continued following Ed. He was also checking rooms, and they had finally made it to the last one in the hall. The odor was overpowering, and if they didn't get out soon Lynore was going to be sick. Ed warily grabbed the knob and turned it, swinging the door open wide.

"SHIT." The word echoed loudly as the stench hit them in a massive wave. There was a large transmutation circle in the middle of the floor, and in the center of the circle was a bloody mass. Bones and stray entrails leaked out of the blob, and its dead eyes were fixed on the corner. It looked as if someone had sent a man through a meat grinder and thrown him on the floor. Lynore turned back into the hallway and heaved violently.

"Oh God," she muttered weakly. Holding onto the doorjamb for support, she turned back to Ed. He had stepped inside the room, standing silent and motionless in front of the circle. There was a small noise from the corner, and when Lynore looked, she noticed a very young boy whimpering. He couldn't have been more than 8 years old and he looked as if he had been alone for days. His clothes were stained with blood and his face was pale. Composing herself, Lynore wiped her mouth on her sleeve and walked to the corner where the boy cowered in fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you. We're here to help you." She held her hand out for the little boy to take, and he looked up at her. Scared, red-rimmed eyes bored through hers and he finally reached his own hand out, taking hers. Lynore stood and pulled the boy into her arms, carrying him from the room as he sobbed into her hair. Ed followed, closing the door behind them. When they returned to the hotel, Lynore gave the boy a bath while Ed called the General to inform him of their findings.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Lynore was washing the boy's short, brown hair and taking special care not to get shampoo in his eyes. The child thought carefully, still unsure of the strangers that came to 'help' him. Lynore smiled at him warmly and rinsed the suds off his head.

"Jamie. My name is Jamie Coleman. I'm eight!" He held up his fingers, indicating his age. "What's your name?"

"My name is Lynore Dotson, but you can call me Nori if you want," she said, allowing the little boy the privilege of using Feury's nickname for her. He sat in the tub and looked at her with sad, scared eyes.

"Am I in lotsa trouble? I know what Kelly did was bad, but we missed Daddy a lot." Taken aback, Lynore hid her shock at the fact that there was a second person involved, and reached over to drain the tub. Grabbing a fluffy towel for the boy, she wrapped him in it and took him out to Ed's bed. She sat next to Jamie and looked at him kindly.

"No, Jamie. You're not in lotsa trouble," Lynore tousled his damp hair before continuing, "My friend Ed and I are State Alchemists; do you know what that is?" Jamie nodded, smiling.

"My daddy talked 'bout them all the time. My sister said when she got bigger she was gonna try to join too! She was a lot better than me," he said sadly. Tears filled the little boy's eyes and he launched himself into Lynore's arms.

"I didn't mean to! All we wanted was our daddy back. I couldn't hold on, and then she was just gone!" Bawling into Lynore's shirt, Jamie apologized profusely to the family he had lost. Ed came in the room shortly after the poor child had exhausted himself and passed out on the bed.

"Did you have to give him my bed?" A displeased look flashed across Ed's face before he turned to look at Lynore who was sitting on her own bed, watching the child toss and turn in a nightmare riddled slumber.

"Mustang said he'll be here first thing in the morning to take a look at the house. Did he tell you anything else about what happened?" He walked over to the boy and stared down at him, wondering if that's what he must have slept like after his own failed attempt at bringing back his mother. Ed folded his arms across his chest and turned to face a rather upset looking Lynore. Sitting beside her on the other bed, he reached out and touched her shoulder.

"His sister. He said they wanted their dad back and he couldn't hold on, and then she was gone." Lynore spoke, her quiet voice filled with sympathy for the poor child.

"He lost his sister trying to transmute their dad. Equivalent exchange, they took her." Looking back at the boy in the bed, a downcast expression was on Ed's face.

"It's the same thing that happened to me and Al, only he couldn't bring his sister back," he mumbled. Lynore looked up at him, not understanding. While she had received almost a full dossier on the Elric brothers, it never explained what had happened with the boys' mother. Seeing the confused look she wore, Ed took the time to clarify about their own failed transmutation and Al's empty armor. She had heard the rumors about the brothers but never really believed them to be true.

"Well," she sighed, "that explains a lot." Standing up she stretched her back, causing her shirt to rise higher on her ribs. Ed couldn't help but stare at her trim midsection. Couldn't help but notice it flaring out at both ends into very nicely rounded curves. When he noticed her noticing him noticing her, Edward gave a nervous cough and jumped up.

"Well, I guess we better get some sleep before the General gets here. I'll sleep on the floor since someone decided to give the runt my bed." Teasing her, he stole one of her pillows and the extra blanket off of his bed. Lynore stuck her tongue out at him and went into the bathroom to change into her night clothes. When she returned Ed was already sprawled on the floor, shirtless and obviously uncomfortable. She crawled into bed and shut off the light, laughing at the foul mouthed man on the floor. Lying on her stomach, she looked over the edge of the bed at him and smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Goodnight Edward! Sleep well," she sang.

"Bite me. Just don't stomp on me when you wake up." Ed reached out and smacked the hand Lynore had flopped over the side of the bed.

"Ok, I'll try to restrain myself." Laughing, she closed her eyes and waited for the sleep to come.

* * *

_This one was fun. I accidentally cut and pasted and edited the wrong damn file! Too many hours of editing…_

_Qualy_


	9. And Good Morning to You Too!

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

* * *

**TAPPITY TAP, TAP, TAP!**

"Mmmmmph," Lynore groaned. Not eager to open the door for anyone, she snuggled deeper into to covers. When she tried to pull them over her head, she noticed that something was holding them - and her - in place. Cracking open her eyes, she looked behind her to find Ed sleeping peacefully with his hand resting heavily on her hip.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Lynore sat straight up in bed screaming at the unconscious man next to her. Opening one eye, Ed looked at her and shot up as well.

"…the hell?"

"We're coming in now. You have five seconds to open this door before I burn it to the ground," a very annoyed Mustang yelled through the door.

"Five… four…" Angry flames consumed the door just as Lynore had gotten up. The General and his men waltzed in as if they owned the place. Looking down at the couple in front of him, a satisfied grin spread slowly across Mustang's face. "I knew you two would eventually…"

"Mustang if you finish that sentence, I'm going to tell Riza every detail about the day I came back," Lynore interrupted. The General promptly shut up, the broad smile still on his face. Ed jumped out of the bed blushing furiously. Lynore grabbed his wrist and yanked him in the bathroom, slamming the door behind them and then hastily reopening it to look back at her commanding officer.

"Excuse-us-for-a-second-would-you-please," she rushed out. Slamming the door behind her, she leaned against it for support. Her knees were betraying her at the moment; weak from thinking about waking up next to her partner. Ed's hair had been brushing against her shoulder, gleaming in the early morning sun. She remembered that he had looked so peaceful, before her brain woke up and she screamed at him.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING IN MY BED?" Red faced with anger, Lynore screamed at Ed again. He was just standing there with a sheepish look. He was going to have to get used to her yelling she figured, because she was going to be doing a lot of it with such an exasperating partner.

"All I remember is getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night; I guess I forgot I was sleeping on the floor. Sorry! Shit, freak out on me!" Holding his hands in front of him defensively, Ed backed away from the now infuriated alchemist before she could reach to her back and transmute him into something horrible. The soft knock on the door drew both their attention.

"WHAT? I said give us a minute!" Lynore swung the door open to see Mustang standing there, and Jamie sitting up in bed. The little boy was looking around apprehensively. He still didn't seem sure whether or not he should trust these people.

"He was asking for you," Mustang explained, still choking back laughter at the memory of walking in on Ed and Lynore sleeping together. Lynore walked over to the bed and introduced Jamie to the General and motioned to Ed. Jamie scrambled into her lap the moment she hit the mattress.

"This man is our boss, and he came here to take you to the place where we work. They just have some questions they want to ask you," she explained patiently. Jamie looked worried and gripped her shirt tightly. Shaking his head, he buried his face in her shoulder.

"I promise you they won't do anything to hurt you, and the General will take you to the biggest candy shop you've ever seen after it's all done. Right, General Mustang?" Lynore cast him a burning glare, and he backed away.

"Me? Why me? You can't give me orders," Roy spluttered. "I'm the superior officer here!" Lynore removed Jamie from her lap before she stood up, and walked towards the black haired man across the room, a menacing flavor in every step. Ed sat next to the boy and pointed at the two alchemists, indicating for him to watch. He was about to get a good lesson in why not to argue with Lynore. Getting within inches of Roy's nose, she raised herself up on her toes to be at eye level with her superior.

"Because this little boy is going to cooperate with you. Equivalent Exchange, General. Besides, it'll make for good practice. You need to work with children more if you're going to be a half decent father." A clever smile crept across Lynore's lips as the General sighed and walked over to the bed. Grumbling, he kneeled down to be closer to the boy.

"I give you my word that nothing bad is going to happen to you. As soon as we're finished I'll take you to the candy shop closest to headquarters. Then we can find somewhere for you to stay, okay?" The little boy looked at the unapproachable man who was in front of him and extended his little finger.

"Pinky swears?" Jamie's voice sounded unsure, but Mustang didn't hesitate. He extended his pinky and linked it with the boy's. The contrast between Jamie's tiny fingers and Mustang's long ones was almost comical. They shook their hands once, and the deal was sealed.

"Pinky swears," the General confirmed. Smiling, Jamie jumped into Roy's arms and the General's eyes widened shortly before he relaxed and stood to leave the room. He turned to Lynore and Ed and gave one final order.

"I expect to see you both in my office tomorrow afternoon with full written reports." Carrying the boy with his left arm, General Mustang motioned for the troops to follow him with his right hand.

"Hey, Roy," Lynore called to his back, "Keep up the good work, Dad!" He turned to Lynore and winked, the first warm smile she had ever seen from him plastered on his face. Lynore turned to Ed, smiled at her partner and then flopped right back into bed.

Burying her face under the pillow, she groaned.

"What's your problem?" Ed sat at the foot of her bed, poking her ankles. She lifted the pillow off her face, her cheeks burning. Looking up into amber eyes, she groaned again, not able to believe that he could be so cool about this.

"You do realize that we are never going to hear the end of this, right?"

"End of what?" Ed really was confused now. Smacking him with the pillow, Lynore stood to get her clothes for the day. She packed the rest away before turning to face Ed again. He still looked puzzled, and followed her into the bathroom where she stood at the mirror brushing her hair.

"The General was the one who set up that romantic interlude when we first got here, and now he has caught us 'in bed' together. He's going to have more fun with this than all the shit he gave you for being so short."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN SO SHORT THAT HE COULD GET MAULED BY A GUMMI BEAR?" Ed's arms were swinging wildly in the air and his face was red as a beet. Lynore gently shoved him out the door so that she could get dressed, and laughed at him from the other side.

"Shut up, Elric."

* * *

_Brain pain. Going to take some Tylenol and a break._

_Qualy_


	10. Don't Want to Think

_**For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

* * *

The pair quickly finished packing and headed to the train station to catch the first one to Central. Waiting on benches at the terminal was even more torturous to Lynore than the actual train ride, and Ed wouldn't even let her stop at a bar before they got there. However, he didn't know about the flask she had concealed inside her military jacket. After waiting for him to begin snoring, stretched out on the bench as she'd expected, Lynore extracted the bottle from its hiding spot and unscrewed the lid. Sipping at the fiery liquid, she felt the familiar warmth spreading through her stomach and out to the rest of her body.

"Where did you get that?" Ed looked at her crossly and snatched the flask out of her hand, spilling a few drops onto her suitcase. Before she could explain, he raised it to his lips and swallowed a shot of his own. Mouth agape, Lynore snatched the liquor back and tucked it safely into her coat pocket.

"I know you won't go after it there!" Lynore stuck her tongue out at Ed and turned on the bench to reach her guitar case. Strumming the first few chords of her song, she hummed along with it.

"NOW BOARDING, THE THREE FIFTEEN TO CENTRAL ON PLATFORM EIGHT," a loud voice boomed over the PA system.

"That's us! Come on, the sooner we get there; the sooner we can get this bullshit with Mustang over." Ed grabbed his bag and waited for her to put away her guitar. Grumbling, Lynore followed him to the platform and boarded the train. Edward found an empty compartment, stowed their gear and got situated on the rather uncomfortable benches. Lynore took her guitar back out and sang along with her strums this time, continuing the song she had been singing on their previous train ride.

"_She said I need you to hold me  
I'm a little far from the shore  
And I'm afraid of sinking  
You're the only one knows me  
And who doesn't ignore  
That my soul is weeping_

_  
I know, I know, I know_

_Part of me says let it go_

_Everything must have its season  
Round and round it goes  
And every day's the one before  
But this time, this time_

_  
I'm gonna try anything to just feel better_

_Tell me what to do  
You know I can't see through the haze around me  
And I'll do anything to just feel better_

_I can't find my way_

_God, I need a change_

_And I'd do anything to just feel better_

_Any little thing to just feel better"_

"Did you write that?" Ed was watching her from the corner where he had curled into a ball, preparing for his traditional train nap. Lynore looked at up at him and blushed.

"No, but it just feels right. There was a guy playing it in one of the bars I went to right after…" she trailed off, leaving Ed to conclude that she was talking about the time right after her miscarriage. Looking down at the floor, Lynore gathered her nerves and calmly proceeded with the story.

"I met up with him after the bar closed, and I asked him if he could teach me how to play. I have it all written down somewhere, but I don't need it anymore, it's all in here," she said, tapping her temple. Ed looked at her contemplatively, noting how the lyrics related to him as well. Both of them had pain in their life that they couldn't seem to let go of, no matter how much time had passed. He was still thinking about this when he noticed that Lynore had put her guitar away and was dozing lightly.

It was getting colder and the military jacket she was wearing was not long enough to cover her midriff, which was protected by nothing more than a layer of thin black fabric from her shirt. She had her arms wrapped around herself tightly, fighting off the cold. Ed stood up, shrugged off his trademark red coat and placed it over her to keep her warm. Sitting back down, he looked at her and thought about how cute she looked in his clothes. She had stolen the shirt from his bag; he recognized every tear and burn mark running across it. The pants had been on the very bottom of his bag; he never wore them anymore because they were now too short. She must have pinched them while he was in the bathroom the other day. Ed leaned his head against the window and tried to understand why he would be noticing these particulars about Lynore.

He never wondered what type of perfume Hawkeye wore, or noticed how shapely Sciezka's legs were. He had never concerned himself with the way Winry looked in her coveralls; never once thought about what Clara looked like out of her cat suit. Ok, so he had thought about Clara out of the cat suit. However, the point was, a woman had never distracted him so much before.

Leaning against the window, Ed willed his mind to stop and closed his eyes. Unable to shut his mind up, he sat up and pulled a book out of his bag. He opened it to the marked page and tried reading to dissuade his thoughts from his sleeping colleague. When this failed, he took out his deck of cards and dealt a hand of solitaire. This too failed, so he resigned himself to the only thing that his mind was willing to do now: stare at Lynore and analyze his feelings. It was a rare occasion that he did things like this, and it often ended up leaving him with a huge headache.

Ed tried to tell himself that he was not attracted to Lynore, that it was just her using those near magical interrogation skills of hers. But, his brain countered that thought with the reminder of the conversation on the day they had met. She would never 'pry into that mind', there was too much there for her to handle. Then again, she did already know almost everything about him. Arguing its point again, his memory kicked in the images of her in tears and him voluntarily giving up the information on himself. She had never turned on the charm, or even made it seem like she had wanted to know any of the things he had told her. Ok, fine, but the way she usually kept herself at a distance from him emotionally was damn near infuriating. Conversely, he was the exact same way, so he couldn't really blame her for it. She had screamed at him repeatedly for mistakenly getting in her bed. However, he couldn't say that he had entirely objected to waking up with her in his arms. Giving up the internal war, he contented himself with staring at her for the rest of the train ride.

Arriving at Central, Lynore woke up and realized she was wrapped in Ed's coat. Pulling it up, she lifted it to her face and inhaled deeply. It had a smell all its own; a smell so distinctly… Ed. There was a hint of some sort of cologne, not an overpowering scent like the one Cory used to wear; but a softer, orangey kind of aroma with just a trace of whiskey from the night at the bar. Hints of amber and wood smoke clouded her mind, and she found herself recalling that morning. He smelled the same way when she woke up to find his arm settled protectively over her. Smiling secretly, she turned to find her cohort sound asleep on the bench again. She leaned over him and gently shook his shoulder.

"Hey, we're here," she said softly. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Ed stood and gathered the bags from the overhead compartment. Lynore took her bags from him and passed him his coat, which he slung over his left shoulder. Walking out in front of him, she smiled to herself, thinking of how it might feel to wake up in his arms by design. They walked through the station in silence, neither one ready to accept their feelings; let alone reveal them to the other person.

Lieutenant Feury was waiting for them with a car, prepared to take them back to their respective apartments. The car ride there was spent in quiet reflection, the only speaking the distracted responses from either of the two to Feury's inquiries about the success of the mission and his assurance that Riza had not gone into labor yet. Dropping them at the front of the building, Kain hugged Lynore and reminded her how glad he was that she was home and everything had gone well. The pair of alchemists entered the building and then their apartments, each giving the other an awkward smile before closing their door.

* * *

_Chapter 10... well, it gave me some trouble. Mostly the re-title. Yeah. That sucked. Anyway... almost halfway there! YAY!  
_

_Qualy_


	11. C'est Quand, Les Vacançes?

**_For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One_**

* * *

Lynore went about hastily unpacking everything, making sure to separate the dirty clothes from clean ones. Making a mental note that she needed to call the laundry service, she walked into her living room and sat at her desk to begin composing her report for General Flamer. She picked up her pen to write the beginning of what was to be a detailed account of the past few days' events, but found she was unable to think of anything but the golden-eyed man down the hall. Sighing, she left her report unfinished and instead went into her bathroom for a long soak and a large whiskey.

Ed had thrown his suitcase in the hall closet without unpacking it, and immediately rummaged in his refrigerator for anything that was not moving. He knew he had a report to write, but it could wait; there were more important things to think about. Like his feelings toward a certain raven-haired young woman that lived just down the corridor. As he sat at his small kitchen table eating a sandwich and thinking, his telephone rang.

"Yeah," he casually answered.

"So, you're finally back. How'd it go - how's the new partner - is she pretty - did you find the kid? Give me details here, Ed!" His brother always sounded like an impatient little child whenever he called. It wasn't often that they got to see or speak to each other what with Al living in Resembool. The younger Elric was always anxious to hear news from Ed.

"It went well, she's annoying, I guess she's pretty and yes we found him." Ed answered all of his little brother's questions in perfect order, realizing that he had admitted that he thought Lynore was 'pretty' a moment too late. He winced and got ready for the barrage of new questions he knew Al would have.

"You guess? Havoc said she's a 'goddess with a hot temper, and a body to match,'" Al chuckled. Frowning at the thought of Havoc saying those kinds of things about Lynore, Ed responded calmly.

"Yes, she is very attractive. She does have an attitude to match, but she has good reason for that. She worked in investigations before she took an extended illegal leave of absence. When she came back, General Shithead decided to pair us up to find the kid in Aquroya."

"So, is this a permanent thing, or – TRISHA, DADDY SAID NO!" Ed could hear his niece running amok in the background, no doubt climbing all over Mommy's worktable.

"I don't know, Al. I'm not even sure if I would want it to be. Or if she does." Rubbing the back of his neck, Ed paced the living room. "Al, if I tell you something, do you swear not to give me shit about it? And not to tell Winry - because she'll give me a hard time - no matter what?" Ed was slightly apprehensive about revealing his feelings for Lynore to anyone. He still wasn't completely sure of them himself; and even if he was… they were partners! There was no way they could even think of having any type of relationship even if she did feel the same way about him.

"Hang on a second – Trisha, why don't you go play outside with Den so Daddy can talk to Uncle Ed? Thank you." Ed could hear the kitchen door creaking and then slamming in the background. "Okay, so what was it you were going to tell me?" Al sounded concerned.

"I – I think I might be falling in love with her. Or lust, or something." There was no sound on the other end of the phone, and Ed began to worry. "Al?"

"Well, remember how I was after we got our bodies back and I spent all that time here with Winry and Granny Pinako? Remember how I used to act whenever I was around her?" Laughing, Ed recalled images of a bumbling Al blushing and stuttering whenever Winry would walk into a room. Al had done nothing but stare at her, and then get frustrated at himself for not being able to tell her how he felt. Remembering all this, Ed realized what Al was trying to tell him.

"Thanks Al. I know what I need to do now." If the General and Hawkeye could start an office romance, then there must be some way he could be with Lynore. Besides, it was about time somebody revised the military's antiquated regulations.

"Always here for ya, Brother. Hey, give the General our regards; and visit more often dammit! Winry is going to throw her entire toolbox at you next time!"

Ed hung up smiling after he promised to spend his next leave back home. He needed the time away from work anyway. Maybe he'd even invite Lynore to come with him; he vaguely remembered her saying something about wanting to meet another person who had to deal with his incessant bitching. After writing his report for General Look-at-me, he went to bed.

"General, Fullmetal and Steel Angel are here to see you." Feury stood at the door, holding it for the two alchemists and then quietly closing it behind them. Ed walked up to the desk and tossed several pieces of paper onto it, glaring at a very lackluster Mustang.

"Here are your stupid reports and two requests for a week's leave. Merry Fucking Christmas." Sitting down on the couch next to Lynore, he winked at her. Completely unaware of what was going on, she simply watched the General for some sort of reaction. The poor man looked like he hadn't slept at all last night, or the many nights before.

"Huh…oh…yeah. Ok, dismissed." Roy barely glanced at the stack of papers on his desk. His chin was resting in his hand, and his eyelids were drooping.

"Sir, are you ok? You look like hell." Not concerned at all with what type of reaction that would warrant, Lynore raised an eyebrow and looked at the tired man with interest. His head lowered to the desk and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Eh, the baby has been keeping Riza awake. And if she's awake, then I have to be awake or she'll shoot me and – what do you mean 'a week's leave'?" The General snapped awake as he finally realized what Ed had stated before. Shuffling through the papers, he found that there was indeed a request for one week's leave of absence for Ed and one for Lynore.

"I mean that after all that hard work, we're tired dammit! I figured the least you could do is give us a week off," Ed snorted. He looked over to Lynore and gave her a conspiratorial smile. Nodding, she went along with whatever cockamamie plan he had cooked up.

"Fine, whatever; just go away. Leave your destinations with Feury in case we have to come and rescue you from each other." Waving them away, the General rested his head on his arms and began to snore. After leaving the office, Lynore grabbed Ed's arm and stopped him.

"Leave? For both of us? What are you planning here?" Eyebrows knit together; she studied his face for some sort of hint as to what exactly his scheme was. He maintained a straight face and walked away.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Just make sure your bags are packed and you're ready to go by nine a.m. tomorrow. And no bitching, we're going by train." Ed heard Lynore groaning behind him as she headed home, and chuckled to himself on the way to Feury's desk. He waited until she was more than far enough away to hear anything he said before he caught Feury's attention. Making the Lieutenant swear not to tell Lynore where they were going, Ed left the address for Rockbell Automail with him. Before he could leave, Feury stopped him.

"Be good to her. If Nori thinks enough of you to let you in as far as she has, and you hurt her; I'll kill you. Sir." The usually reserved Lieutenant's gaze was unfaltering as he gripped Ed's arm.

"I don't plan on it, Feury." Smiling, Ed felt Kain's grip relax until he too smiled and sat back at his desk. Ed walked back to his apartment, wondering if Lynore had already started her ritualistic pre train ride drinking.

* * *

_Man, this site is acting weird today! Oh well. Later!_

_Qualy_


	12. One Step Closer

**_For the full Disclaimer, see Chapter One_**

* * *

Walking up the small dirt road to the yellow house, Lynore tried to find some sort of landmark to tell her where they were. The sun was setting, so she had to get a good idea of her surroundings quickly. She didn't see anything resembling a place she had been before, so she gave up and followed Ed to the door. He made her put on a blindfold moments before the train had stopped and clapped his hands over her ears just the as the conductor was about to announce where they had arrived. Having no idea even what town they were in, she pouted the whole way to their destination. Ed knocked once and the door flew open, revealing a little blonde girl who couldn't have been more than 3 years old.

"Hi, Trisha!" Ed bent down and scooped the little girl in his arms. "Did you miss me?" He planted several kisses on the girl's cheeks and forehead, and she in turn wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"UNCLE ED," the little girl squealed. "MOMMY, DADDY! Uncle Ed's here and he brought a pretty lady with him this time!" Lynore blushed. A young man with hair just a shade darker than Ed's offered his hand. His warm hazel eyes eased her anxiety.

"You must be Lynore. I'm Ed's brother, Al. I've heard a lot about…OW!" Al was cut off when Ed's sharp elbow encountered his ribs. Rubbing his side and scowling, he motioned for them to come in. There was a young woman sitting at the large table in the middle of the kitchen working on an automail arm. Walking toward her, Ed had a hand covering his cranium as he got closer. The mechanic was holding a large wrench in her left hand and looked ready to kill.

"How have you been, Ed? Keeping out of trouble?" Smiling wryly, she turned and offered her empty hand to Lynore. "Winry Elric, Al's wife. The little one is Trisha the dog is Den. And you are?"

"I'm Lynore; Ed's new partner and now apparently your guest for a week." Lynore shook Winry's outstretched hand and winced at the strength of her grip. Prying her fingers loose, she turned to look back at Ed. He had been taken hostage by little Trisha and made to play Horsey, which it looked like he didn't mind too much. With the still squealing little girl clinging to his neck, he righted himself and ran directly at Lynore. He stopped just short of plowing into her, and a pair of tiny blue eyes peeked over his shoulder.

"Uncle Ed," Trisha whispered, "who's the pretty lady? Is she your girlfriend?" Ed laughed, unable to come up with a reasonable answer. Sliding the little girl carefully off his back, he knelt on the floor next to her. Lynore leaned down and smiled at Trisha.

"I work with your Uncle Ed back in Central. My name is Lynore." She held out her hand for the little girl to shake, and instead ended up on the receiving end of a strangling hug.

The youngster had a grip like her mother and the personality of her father. Taking a deep breath after being released from the child's clutches, Lynore took a seat on the couch next to Winry. Trisha scampered off singing something about her dollies, and disappeared into her room. Feeling the remaining pairs of eyes burning holes into her, Lynore shifted uneasily.

"So," Winry started, "how long have you and Ed been working together?"

"About a week, but it feels like months." Teasing, Lynore gave a fake sigh. She caught Ed's eye and smirked.

"He has that certain grating presence doesn't he? Makes you want to hit him repeatedly. I suggest you act on those urges, or he'll get cocky." Winry smiled at the woman next to her and offered her the wrench. "Here, he's still afraid of this. Even after all that crap with the Stone." Ducking behind Al, Ed shivered at the thought of a darker version of Winry constantly chasing him around HQ with some form of tool or office supply aimed at his skull.

"Hey! I'm here, aren't I? You should be happy to see me, not finding people to abuse me while I'm gone!" Peering carefully over his brother's shoulder and seeing that the deadly weapon was put away, Ed moved closer to the couch. He perched on the arm next to his co-worker and looked back and forth between Al and Winry.

"We should go do something tonight; you know something grown-up. Can you guys get a baby-sitter?" He had remembered passing by a pub on the way into town, and wanted a chance to get to know Lynore a little better outside of work. And, celebrate a successful mission and homecoming of sorts.

"I guess we could ask Nelly, but I can't be out too late. I have a leg fitting in the morning." Winry looked to her husband and he nodded in agreement.

"It would be nice to get away from the dollies and automail for a night," he laughed.

"Okay then! Winry, make that call and I'll show Lynore to her room. Dinner and drinks at Jack's sound good?" Pleased that his scheme was going to work, Ed picked up his partner's bags and headed across the kitchen to the guest room. Lynore followed, still unsure of what her partner was plotting.

* * *

_It's getting harder and harder to re-title these things. If you read a chapter and think you have a better title for it, feel free to tell me. All offers will be considered and your title might be used!_

_Qualy_


	13. Stepping Over the Lines of Sanity?

_**For the full disclaimer, see Chapter One**_

* * *

Dressed and ready for a night out, the four adults decided to walk rather that drive to the pub, just in case any of them got a bit too intoxicated. Ed led the way, looking back occasionally to check that his partner was still there. He knew if she could, she might have taken flight, not really looking forward to the conversations that might be initiated. But, she carried on, keeping up the appearance of total normalcy.

Lynore looked very nice tonight, in his opinion. Her usual attire of short skirts or tight jeans was gone, replaced by a surprisingly demure dress. It was a sleeveless oriental piece; black, with tiny red roses embroidered across it. The high neck emphasized her face, and the unexpected slit ended mid hip. Well, it was demure if you only saw her from the front. Her trademark boots had been replaced with strappy, heeled sandals that were no doubt killing her toes by now. She had twisted her hair to the back of her head and secured it with a pair of small metal rods that Winry had loaned her. The whole look was sexy without being too brazen; the key element apparently was to leave a little to the imagination. Ed had been speechless when she entered the living room; the exact effect she had secretly been hoping for when packing the outfit.

Looking ahead of her towards the city, Lynore's gaze rested on her partner's back. It seemed the both of them had decided to differentiate from their normal attire tonight. When she had walked out into the living room, she noticed Ed sitting on the couch reading a story to Trisha before they left. His glasses were back and he had pulled his hair into a ponytail instead of braiding it. Standing to greet her, he stared, wordless. She emulated him perfectly. He had opted for a pair of khaki colored pants and a white button up shirt with the top two buttons undone. When he rolled up his sleeves, she caught the flash of his silver watch chain hanging from his belt to his pocket. There was a trace of a five o'clock shadow lining his jaw, and she had to stop herself from stepping over the lines of sanity and tracing her fingers along it.

They had reached the pub somewhere in the midst of her musing, and entered. The four were seated at a table near the back of the dimly lit establishment, menus placed at each setting. Lynore and Winry sat on one side, the brothers on the other. Flipping open the menu, Ed took no more than two seconds to decide on an entrée and played with sugar packets while the others pondered. The server returned with their drinks and took their orders a few moments later.

Idle chitchat about life passed the time, and the drinks were downed quickly. Winry stood to use the restroom halfway through her third cocktail, and motioned for Lynore to accompany her. Actually, she ended up half carrying the smashed automailer to the lavatory. As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Al turned to his brother and folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, Brother, are you falling for her or not?" Al's abrupt inquiry caught Ed completely off guard, and he choked on his beverage. Wiping his face with a napkin, he looked at Al incredulously.

"Jeez, Al," he sputtered. "Why don't you just get up there and announce it to the whole bar?" Ed motioned to the stage near the bar, which had been set up for random amateurs to have their moment in the spotlight. Narrowing his eyes, Alphonse glared at his brother.

"You made it pretty obvious yourself, Ed. The two of you haven't been able to keep your eyes off each other all night. Everyone in this bar but the two of you knows you're completely crazy for each other. If you don't tell her, Winry will!" Ed's eyes widened in shock.

"YOU SWORE YOU WOULDN'T TELL HER!" Betrayed, Ed slumped in his seat.

"I didn't have to, she knew as soon as you walked in the door."

"So, you're gonna be the one that finally gets under Ed's skin," Winry slurred, leaning over the sink. She was messily reapplying lip-gloss from a small pot she had retrieved from her purse. Lynore turned her face, so Winry wouldn't see the fierce redness creeping up her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she was dizzy from the whiskey, or the realization that she was infatuated with her partner. Sitting on the small lounger in the ladies' room, she tried to figure out what she should do about this new revelation.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry! He doesn't know! I swear on my last drop of this… fruity… thing, I won't tell!" Swallowing the sworn drop, Winry slammed the glass on the counter and took Lynore's arm to head precariously back to the table. As they walked, Lynore caught Al's glance and motioned for him to come over and meet them near the bar. Hugging her husband, Winry winked at Lynore.

"I'll be there in a minute," Lynore said. Al nodded and steered his tipsy wife back to the table, sitting across from Ed with her. Lynore leaned over to the bartender, whispering something in his ear and then disappeared with him to the back room. Ed, wondering why she had not yet returned from the bathroom, let his eyes wander around the pub until the lights dimmed even more. A familiar tune reached his ears, and his head snapped back to the stage. Lynore balanced on a stool provided by the bartender, and strummed the song she had committed to memory on a guitar that the previous artist had loaned her.

"_She said I feel stranded…"_

The glow of the spotlight temporarily blinded her and it was hard to see her target's reaction. She focused instead on projecting her voice to the back, and throwing all the feeling she had into her performance.

"…_But it just won't open_

_I know, I know, I know_

_Part of me says let it go…"_

The trio at the table sat rapt with attention, eyes never leaving the angel on stage. Al glanced across to see his brother's reaction, only to find him smiling and mouthing the words in perfect unison with her. He only stopped when she reached a part of the song that she had never sung around him before.

"_I'm tired of holding on_

_To all the things I ought to leave behind_

_It's really getting old _

_And I think I need a little help this time…"_

After finishing her performance, Lynore exited the stage as stealthily as she had taken it. The sounds of raucous applause filled the tiny pub, and she was dizzy with gratification. She passed the guitar to the bartender and looked back at the table. Ed's eyes were glued to her, and his companions were grinning like crazy. Walking over, she blushed and sat down beside him.

"Lynore that was beautiful!" Winry gushed, reaching out to pat her hand. Feeling slightly embarrassed with herself, the songstress looked down at her lap and played with the folds of her dress.

"It really was. Ed was even sing – OW! Dammit, Brother! I'm not armor anymore, you know!" Al had received a sharp kick to the shin courtesy of his brother. Glaring at him, he saw Ed jerk his head towards the door. Taking the hint, Al faked a yawn.

"Well, I guess we had better go make sure our little terror hasn't burned the house down. Come on, Winry, time for all little automailers to be in bed," he teased.

"No, I want more music and drinking! More fruity thingies!" Winry was pouting like a petulant child, her arms folded across her chest resolutely. In one swift movement, her husband snaked an arm under her knees and hoisted her off the bench. Carrying his enraged spouse to the door, he looked over his shoulder and winked at his brother.

"Don't stay out too late kids!"

* * *

_Finally getting some more done on here. It might get a bit hairy around here soon. I'm getting married next week to my 'Edward'. Absolutely_ _no physical resemblance, they just act the same._

_Qualy_


End file.
